Existing electromechanical locking mechanisms such as electric strikes, electrified locks, and electrified rim exit devices incorporate electromechanical mechanisms that use some type of locking element such as a keeper, a latch bolt, or a pullman style latch bolt. In unlocking, the locking element (referred to generically herein as a “latch”) is required to rotate or retract out of the way of the mating locking element to reach a state of being unlocked. The latch may be mounted in a door and the mating locking element (referred to herein generically as a “striker” or “striker plate”) may be mounted on a door frame, or vice versa, to equal effect.
For electric strikes, unlocking is achieved either by the outward rotation of the keeper, which allows the locked latch to pass through the door frame, or by an internal mechanism designed to push the locked latch out of the door frame to allow the door to be opened. For electrified locks, unlocking is typically achieved by electromechanically unlocking the lock's knob or lever, thus allowing the user to manually retract the latch to open the door.
For electrified rim exit devices, unlocking is typically achieved by utilizing an electromechanical device actuated by a solenoid or motor, to draw a pullman-style latch bolt out of or away from the strike to release the locked door. These electromechanical devices are typically very large in size and aesthetically unpleasing, and they require a large amount of power or current to actuate the unlocking mechanism.
What is needed in the art is a locking device, and especially an electromechanical locking device, that can fit within a limited amount of functional space and still meet the force requirements, either electrical or manual, of a design that has moving parts and some degree of complexity to resist easy defeat.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved, compact locking device.